


you are the moon that breaks the night (for which I have to howl)

by alongthewatchtower



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Anal Sex, Fluff and Smut, Knotting, Mpreg, Possessive Behavior, Rimming, Scenting, Sex in Wolf Form, Swearing, Violence, non-graphic birth scene, original character death, so much exposition okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 05:28:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4047907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alongthewatchtower/pseuds/alongthewatchtower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Flirting with the Alpha, hey,” Laura says with fake nonchalance.</p><p>“Was <i>not</i>,” Niall says. “He’s <i>the Alpha.</i>"</p><p>"It is a truth universally acknowledged that an unbonded Alpha in possession of power must be in want of a mate,” Laura quotes, and Niall can feel the blush creeping up his neck.</p><p>“Shut it,” he grumbles.</p><p>Niall’s not <i>blind</i>, and even if he was, he would still be able to tell that Bressie’s attractive. Bressie smells - strong. He smells like safety, warmth and pack and <i>Alpha</i>, and there’s something about him that makes Niall’s wolf want to roll over and show his belly. Perhaps even bare his throat, and some other things. </p><p>Yeah, you could say Niall finds Bressie attractive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you are the moon that breaks the night (for which I have to howl)

**Author's Note:**

> I blame Jase, for being the first fellow Nessie shipper I talked to. also, this is Paz's fault, because they encouraged my endless ranting via iMessage and basically said WOLF SEX YES PLZ.
> 
> It jumps back and forth a bit. You have been warned. Sections in italics are present tense. Everything else is just how they got there in the first place.

 

*

 

Bressie remembers the first time he saw Niall.

 

Of course, it probably wasn’t the first time he saw Niall - they’re a largish pack, but Bressie has less than three thousand wolves, and when he thinks about it he has vague memories of Greg Horan’s little brother, the blonde youngster standing on a stool to use the register behind the counter of Horan's Butchery.

 

But the first time he _saw_  Niall - really saw him - he’ll remember that forever.

 

He remembers a smaller body colliding with him, hands automatically falling to a slim waist to steady the other person - _omega_ , his nose tells him, though it’s really not polite to scent another person without their permission. The omega looking up at him carries the most enticing scent Bressie’s ever encountered. More than that, he smells _right_ , like home and pack and -

 

Bressie can’t help the grin that breaks across his face.

 

The little omega smells like _mate._

 

Bressie’s thirty years old, and while he’s had to listen to Council rumblings about him finding a mate since his father died, he’s mostly ignored them. He always thought he’d find his mate when he was good and ready. He’s defended his pack with tooth and claw for a decade now, and if there’s anyone left who doubts his ability to lead the pack, they’re awfully quiet about it, and nobody is vocal in questioning his judgement. Goddess help anyone who gets in his way when he courts this little omega.

 

*

 

Okay, so Niall shouldn’t be running inside, but he’s not _really_ running. It’s more like a gentle lope in the direction of the basketball court of the youth centre, the young pups shrieking and darting out of his way as he “chases” them, herding them out of the tykes room and keeping them occupied in the last few minutes before their parents come to pick them up.

 

So, he shouldn’t really be running, but to be fair he doesn’t expect to run smack bang into a man-shaped mountain when he steps out into the auditorium.

 

Niall runs into something very solid, and immediately flails, hands grabbing the nearest anything in an attempts to keep himself upright.

 

Whoever he’s run into smells amazing, and Niall presses closer for a moment, feeling warmth spread all the way down to his toes at the comforting scent of pine after rain, the feeling of a long, satisfying run under the moon. He smiles, and looks up. 

  
_Oh Goddess_. 

 

Niall Horan has run into _Niall Breslin_. Bressie. His pack Alpha. No wonder he smells so good.

 

“Hi,” Niall says eventually, realising with a blush that he’s holding onto Bressie’s considerable biceps to keep himself upright, and hurriedly plants his feet under him.

 

“Hi,” Bressie says, smiling down at him. “What’s your name, little?”

 

Niall scowls at the nickname, letting go of Bressie’s arms, though the Alpha doesn’t move his hands from Niall’s hips. “Niall,” he says.

 

“Hey, where’d the smile go?” Bressie asks, bringing one hand up to poke Niall’s cheek gently with a finger.

 

Niall dimples up in spite of himself.

 

“There you go,” Bressie says, one large hand still warm on Niall’s hip. “That’s much better. It’s like sunshine.”

 

Niall blushes again. “Um-“ Niall’s not quite sure what’s about to come out of his mouth, but he’s relieved to never find out, as there’s a small voice coming from somewhere in the vicinity of his knees.

 

“Mister Ni!"

 

Niall glances down, and swings the youngest O’Byrne sprog up into his arms.

 

“Mister Ni,” Jessie whispers loudly, “Mister Ni, that’s Alfa Bressin.”

 

“Bres _lin_ ,” Niall corrects in the same stage whisper, shooting a grin at Bressie.

 

“But you can call me Bressie, young Jessie,” the Alpha declares grandly, grinning at the rhyme.

 

Jessie squeals. “Mister Ni, he knows my  _name._ ”

 

“I know everyone’s name,” Bressie says. “I know _everything_.”

 

“That’s not true,” Niall tells Jessie in the same whisper. “He didn’t know my name until I told him.”

 

“Alfa Bressie’s silly,” Jessie agrees and Niall laughs. When he looks back at Bressie, the Alpha is studying the two of them with a strange expression on his face.

 

“Um,” Niall says, suddenly awkward. “Hey pup, I think I see your Ma.”

 

“I’m not a pup,” Jessie protests. “I’m a cub now!”

 

“Of course you are,” Bressie says. “You’re so tall!”

 

Jessie preens, and Niall laughs as he sets Jessie back on her feet.

 

“Come and say hi to my Ma, Alfa Bressie!” Jessie tugs on Bressie’s massive hand, and if the sight of a little hand wrapped around one of Bressie’s giant fingers makes Niall a little weak at the knees, surely he can be forgiven.

 

Bressie laughs, and lets himself be pulled in the direction Jessie wants. “See you round, Sunshine,” he calls back, winking at Niall before he ducks through the door.

 

Oh Goddess. Because of _course_ , Niall’s pack Alpha is too tall to walk through _doors_. Guh.

 

“Flirting with the Alpha, hey,” Laura says with fake nonchalance, from where she’s collecting the soccer balls discarded on the basketball court.

 

“Was _not_ ,” Niall says. “He’s t _he Alpha_."

 

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that an unbonded Alpha in possession of power must be in want of a mate,” Laura quotes, and Niall can feel the blush creeping up his neck.

 

 

“Shut it,” he grumbles, and sets about tidying up the remnants of crafternoon.

 

Niall’s not _blind_ , and even if he was, he would still be able to tell that Bressie’s attractive. Bressie smells - strong. He smells like safety, warmth and pack and _Alpha,_ and there’s something about him that makes Niall’s wolf want to roll over and show his belly. Perhaps even bare his throat, and some other things _._

 

Yeah, you could say Niall finds Bressie attractive.

 

 

*

 

_Niall howls, and all the little cubs in his class at the youth centre howl along with him. Bressie can’t help his laughter._

 

_Niall pads up to Bressie, and very firmly, butts his muzzle into Bressie’s stomach. The only effect it has is to make Bressie laugh even harder, especially when the cubs follow Niall’s example and headbutt Bressie - though they’re all too small to make it to his stomach, little noses prodding his shins and the sides of his thighs._

_Bressie is doubled over now, and entirely unsurprised when his mate huffs and rears up on his hind legs so he can throw his weight against Bressie’s shoulders, sending him crashing to the ground. The cubs are delighted by this new game, and swarm their pack Alpha, who is suddenly a lot easier to reach._

_The white wolf cocks its head at Bressie, tongue lolling as if to laugh, and slips out of the room to change._

_*_

 

Bressie believes in love at first sight.

 

More than that, he believes in true mates, the idea that there is only one wolf in all the world for him.

 

He knows, without a doubt, that he’s found his wolf when he sees Niall in his fur for the first time.

 

A week after their first meeting, after walking past Horan’s Butchery every time he makes his way through the town square, hoping to catch a glimpse of blonde hair behind the register, Bressie tells himself he’s being an idiot. Plucking up his courage, he drops by the youth centre one afternoon, knowing he’ll definitely find Niall at his place of work. It’s just gone pick-up time, and Bressie makes his way through the obstacle course of pups and parents until he finds the wolf he’s looking for.

 

 

Niall is outside herding stray soccer balls when Bressie finds him. He’s leaning over to cram them all into a bag when Bressie stops, admiring the sight of the cute little arse bent over. It’s a delectable curve outlined in his tight jeans, and Bressie’s mouth waters at the thought of sinking his teeth into that sensitive strip of skin where arse meets thigh -

 

There’s the sound of a throat clearing, and Bressie realises abruptly that he’s been caught staring. He looks up, guiltily, to meet Niall’s eyes - _when had he turned around?_

 

“Um,” Bressie says intelligently, watching Niall flush. “Hi?”

 

“Hello,” Niall says with an awkward laugh. “Uh - can I help you?”

 

  
_Yes_ , Bressie thinks.

 

“Yes,” he says automatically, then stops. “Um, yes, you can help me. I wanted to ask you something.”

 

Niall raises an eyebrow, waiting. Shit. What is it about this little omega that turns Bressie from a confident, self-assured pack Alpha, into a nervous teenager? He’s supposed to be _charming_ , for Goddess’ sake.

 

“ _Willyourunwithme_?”

 

Bressie’s worried he’s said it too fast for Niall to understand, but if the way the omega’s jaw drops is any indication, he heard Bressie fine.

 

“Um,” he replies intelligently. "What?”

 

“I was wondering,” Bressie says, making sure to enunciate each word clearly, “if you would like to run with me this weekend.”

 

“Under the moon?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Under the _full_  moon?”

 

Bressie’s suddenly worried for Niall’s mental faculties. The younger wolf seems to be having trouble grasping the concept. For Goddess’ sake, it’s not like he’s proposing _marriage -_ oh. Actually yes, he kind of is. He’s asking another wolf to run with him under the moon, which is a pretty obvious statement of intent right there.

 

 

“Yes?"

 

Niall frowns. “You really want to - to court _me_? Why?”

 

“Because you’re like sunshine,” Bressie says honestly. “When I see you every part of me feels warm.”

 

“Oh,” Niall says faintly.

 

“And because you smell amazing,” Bressie admits. “You smell - they say - they say you _know_ , when you smell your mate.”

 

“ _Mate_.”

 

Niall looks a little pale at the word, biting his lip, so Bressie rushes to clarify - “Not that I’m saying - I mean, I’m not trying to be creepy or anything. I just - I like you, and I’d be honoured if you’d let me run with you. Under the full. No pressure or anything.”

 

Niall grins, and Bressie feels a rush of pride, that he’s managed to make his - _the_  omega smile. This could be problematic.

 

“No pressure or anything,” Niall says, tone light and teasing. “Just going to run beside my pack Alpha, under the full. Not like anyone’s going to be watching, or anythin.”'

 

“Ah,” Bressie says. He forgets, sometimes, that he’s kind of a big deal. That if he starts courting Niall, the entire town is going to want to know the details. “If you’d rather not, I completely understand. We could have dinner, maybe? Or something else, anything-“

 

“We c’n have dinner after,” Niall says, a hint of something wicked in his eye, “if you can catch me, ‘course. I think you’re probably awfully slow in your fur.” He tips his chin up, a challenge that sends a thrill down Bressie’s spine.

 

“We’ll see, little,” he says, feeling the growl in his throat, the urge to prove himself worthy of this young wolf. “So is that a yes? Pick you up at dusk?”

 

“That’s a yes.”

 

*

 

Bressie either times his walk from the Council building to the Horan residence perfectly, or really badly, depending on how you look at it.

 

He crosses the town square at exactly the same time as Bobby steps out of his shop, flicking the lights off and locking the door.

 

“Evening, Alpha,” Bobby Horan says when he catches sight of Bressie. The other man’s smile is easy, and Bressie finds himself returning it without thinking.

 

“Evening, Bobby,” he says. “Can I walk with you?”

 

“Of course,” the other wolf replies, and they walk together in a comfortable silence for a good street or so before Bressie has to say something.

 

“I’m really glad Niall agreed to run with me,” he blurts out.

 

“It made Niall glad, when you asked.”

 

“I really like him,” Bressie adds, unable to stop himself. He’s the man's pack Alpha, but it’s important to him that Bobby approves of him.

 

“My Niall’s a good boy,” Bobby says quietly. “He’s kind and respectful - fiercely loyal. He’ll make someone a good mate someday.”

 

Bressie waits. It sounds like there’s more to that sentence.

 

“You be good to my son, Alpha,” Bobby says, as they turn the corner onto his street. “He’s young yet, but he seems to like you. Don’t make me regret letting him run off with you tonight."

 

“You’re not joining us?” Bressie’s not sure whether the thought of Bobby staying home makes him more or less nervous.

 

Bobby smiles. “I’ve got old bones, lad. I leave the running about to Niall.”

 

Niall and Bobby live in a modest little cottage a few streets back from the square. There’s lights on inside and Bobby says, “I’ll send him right out,” and ducks inside, leaving Bressie to shove his hands in the pockets of his jeans and wait awkwardly on the path.

 

A few moments later, the most beautiful wolf Bressie’s ever seen slips out onto the stoop.

 

Bressie can’t help but stare.

 

Niall’s attractive in his human skin. Bressie had known he’d be attractive in his fur, too, but Niall is _stunning_. He’s slender, head barely over the height of Bressie’s hip, but he stands tall and sure. His coat shines in the moonlight - they call his particular pelt _moon-blessed_ , for its snowy white colour - only a hint of golden fur at his ears and his ruff.

 

Niall cocks his head at Bressie, as if to say, _well?_

 

Feeling rather silly, Bressie strips off his shirt, hanging it over Niall's letterbox. The other wolf huffs in amusement, and turns his head away politely as Bressie shucks his jeans and kicks off his shoes. The shrug into his fur is comforting in the light of the moon, and he shakes his coat out, settling into the shift.

 

His senses sharpen immediately, and his gaze snaps to meet Niall’s, blue eyes that are just as beautiful in his lupine form. Bressie stands stock-still as Niall pads forward slowly, eyes on Bressie the entire time.

 

Once he’s close, so close Bressie can’t ignore his scent, the one that says _homepackmate,_  Niall goes to his forepaws in greeting, neck stretched low and tilted to the side in submission.

 

The gesture is the proper way to greet someone of Bressie’s status, but instead of accepting the submission, Bressie bends down and nudges Niall upright again. The other wolf moves as Bressie wants, eyeing him warily, but Bressie just makes a pleased sound. He rubs his snout against Niall’s, chasing the scent behind one furry ear, snuffling happily.

 

When he pulls back, Niall bares his teeth, pleased, and his tail indicates his happiness.

 

Bressie turns to head back towards the town square, and Niall follows, on his heart-side, a mere half-step behind him.

 

*

 

Bressie knows it doesn’t go unnoticed that there’s a slender white wolf at his left shoulder when he leads the run that night.

 

He howls, a call to all his pack to celebrate and give thanks, to run together under the moon, and the howl is repeated from all over town. For once, the only voice he’s listening for is the one coming from two paces behind, on his left.

 

The run is mostly ceremonial, a stretch of the legs for those who feel like getting their blood up a bit. They run from the centre of town out towards the preserve, where his pack can run in the forest. Bressie stops by the lake though, as is his routine, and settles in the grass on the gentle slope down to the water. A few seconds later, Niall flops down beside him in a lazy sprawl, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

 

Bressie leans down to nuzzle the other wolf, and Niall stretches his neck out, baring his throat for Bressie to scent. The black wolf does so, pleased for the opportunity to mix his scent with the omega’s. He finishes with a broad swipe of his tongue up to Niall’s snout, and the little wolf huffs at him, pretending annoyance.

 

Bressie nudges Niall’s head in the direction of the house by the lake. Even though there’s nobody home, the large house is all lit up, warm and welcoming with light spilling from the large windows on every side.  _That’s mine_ , he thinks, as Niall sits up to get a better view of the house. _One day it’ll be yours too._

Niall makes a low rumble of appreciation, and Bressie can’t help himself, darts in for another lick to Niall’s snout.

 

The little wolf swats at him, and Bressie lets himself fall sideways at the gentle paw. Niall freezes at the unexpected sight of his pack Alpha below him, but Bressie just bares his neck, lets Niall know it was intentional, that it’s okay. The white wolf hesitates, then leans in to snuffle at Bressie’s throat. He makes a pleased little sound, and lays himself down, pressing close.

 

Bressie curls his large form around Niall’s smaller one, and the two wolves lie under the moon together for the rest of the night, the sounds of the pack around them.

 

They’re married within the month. Nobody is surprised.

*

 

_It’s habit for Niall and Bressie to walk home together of an evening. Bressie leaves the Council building at five, stops by the youth centre to pick up Niall, and they make their way back through the centre of town, towards the preserve, and home. Theirs is a small enough pack that they know all their wolves by sight, if not by name, and sometimes the walk takes three times as long as it should, with the pack stopping them to say hi or ask something._

_Pups in human skin and fur both flock to Niall, most having been through his kindergarten class at the youth centre, and it never fails to make Bressie smile as he watches the pack Ama, his beautiful, headstrong little mate, just as kind and attentive and loving with the children of the pack as he is with his own._

 

 

*

 

Bressie and Niall are married under the full moon, as is befitting a pack Alpha and their mate.

 

His Da makes a valiant effort at distracting Niall all day, but it’s pointless when Niall can feel the moon like an itch under his skin, when he’s pacing the house - the house he won’t live in anymore, after tonight - and counting down the minutes until it’s dark. Until Bobby ushers Niall into the car and they drive the five minutes or so to the edge of the preserve.

 

To the Alpha's house. _Bressie_ ’s house.

 

The pack is waiting for him - everyone Niall has ever known, almost the whole town. They’re assembled at the fire pit in front of the pack house, in the large grassy expanse between the house and the preserve, the ground sloping gently down to the edge of the lake on one side.

 

His Da hugs him fiercely as he gets out of the car, and together they walk to where the pack is facing away from them, nearly three thousand strong. A few curious wolves turn to look, but most are facing their Alpha. At least Niall assumes they are - he can’t see Bressie through the mass of pack, but he knows that in front of the fire, standing next to his mother - the pack Ama, oh Goddess, that will be _Niall_  one day - his Alpha will be waiting.

 

“Let the omega come forward,” Glenna intones, voice carrying with the ease of long practice.

 

Niall takes a deep breath, and starts to walk. His feet are bare against the grass, and the pack parts before him. He’s nervous until he sees Bressie, in his suit (classic black, though in typical Bressie fashion, he’s foregone a tie, leaving his neck exposed, and Niall is touched at the gesture), waiting at the edge of the fire pit. Bressie’s face breaks into a grin when he spots Niall, though he’s probably not all that hard to spot, in his traditional whites. His own shirt has no collar, and a deep slit in the front, ensuring there will be no barrier between his throat and his future mate.

 

Niall comes to a halt before Glenna, standing next to Bressie. The heat from the fire is going to make him flush, he just knows it. Glenna clears her throat, and Niall snaps to attention.

 

“Who comes before the Goddess and the moon?”

 

“I, Niall Breslin, Alpha of this pack, come before the Goddess and the moon Eternal, seeking a mate.”

 

Niall swallows. It’s his turn. “I, Niall Horan, omega of this pack, come before the Goddess and the moon Eternal, seeking a mate.”

 

“Kneel.”

 

Alpha and omega turn to face each other, and together, they kneel before their pack.

 

“Omega, do you give yourself unto this Alpha?”

 

“I do,” Niall says, and holds out his left hand, the one with his heart-line.

 

“Make your vow, and your intended may hear it."

 

Niall takes a shaky breath and meets Bressie’s eyes solemnly. "I promise to honour you, to obey and support the rule of your pack, to which I give myself without restraint. You are my beloved, my mate, my Alpha, and my future. My heart will run with no other. This is my vow, and I swear it before the Goddess, our pack, and the moon Eternal.”

 

“I hear your vow,” Bressie says, reaching to take Niall’s left hand in his right, "and I accept it as true.”

 

“Alpha, do you give yourself unto this omega?”

 

Niall startles. That’s not the traditional vow. The traditional Alpha vow asks if the Alpha will * _take*_ the omega, not give of themselves.

 

“I do,” Bressie says, and holds out his left hand, voice and limb steady.

 

“Make your vow, and your intended may hear it.”

 

"I promise to honour you, to protect you as I do my pack, defend you until my dying breath. You are my beloved, my mate, and my equal, under the moon and always in the eyes of my pack. My heart will run with no other. This is my vow, and I swear it before the Goddess, our pack, and the moon Eternal.”

 

“I hear your vow,” Niall says, reaching out to take Bressie’s outstretched hand as his eyes prickle with tears. His _equal._  Bressie has named him _equal._ “And I accept it as true.”

 

“Alpha, you may lay your claim.”

 

Slowly, Bressie lifts their joined hands to Niall’s face, drawing the younger wolf in for a kiss. Bressie’s tongue is hot and unyielding as it plunders Niall’s mouth, laying claim to his intended mate. When he draws away, Niall is breathless, but he is given no respite. Bressie tilts Niall's head gently to the right, so his throat is exposed. He noses at Niall’s scent gland, tongue sneaking out to trace the slight bump. Niall closes his eyes, relaxing in Bressie’s embrace, and the Alpha bites down.

 

It hurts - of course it hurts, Bressie’s breaking skin with his * _teeth*_  - but Niall stays limp, unable to resist as his Alpha claims him as mate. Bressie’s teeth eventually relent, and he licks over the bondbite carefully. Niall’s skin will forever carry the mark, a scar that will never heal.

 

“In the presence of the Goddess, our pack, and the moon Eternal, I now declare you married and bonded for life.”

 

The pack cheer as Bressie lunges forward to kiss Niall again. This time when they separate, it’s to shed their human skin.

 

Niall feels the shift crackle down his spine, his wedding garments tearing easily at the seams. In front of him, Bressie does the same, pawing aside the remains of his suit.

 

“May this union be blessed by the Goddess,” Glenna says, “as the moon watches over the joining of your souls.”

 

Niall takes his signal, and _runs_.

 

Bressie pauses by the fire to howl, a mating call that the pack echo back at him, and then follows.

 

*

 

His little mate is fast, and clever, but he’s not trying to hide from Bressie, the wolf realises, feeling smug. Niall is leaving him a trail he could follow in his sleep, and Bressie crashes through the undergrowth with no finesse at all. It’s not a chase, not really, but Bressie is gaining on the smaller wolf, eventually getting close enough that he can launch himself at his mate, bringing them both to a halt.

 

Niall yips, and twists as he goes down, rolling out from under Bressie. He turns as if to spring away again, but Bressie is faster, jaws closing around the scruff of Niall’s neck with a growl.

 

The white wolf whines, going limp beneath him, throat bared and belly up.

 

Bressie huffs, pleased, and releases his mate, licking out over his muzzle. This close to his little omega, he catches a delicious scent - snuffling, stopping every now and then to groom the white fur beneath him and leave his own scent behind, Bressie makes his way down Niall’s lupine form to where the scent is strongest.

 

Niall whines as Bressie licks out over the little hole once, twice, then does it again, chasing the taste of his mate. His omega’s whine turns beseeching as the muscle starts to relax and twitch at the touch of his tongue, clearly begging for more attention. Niall whimpering for him goes straight to Bressie’s hindbrain and he nudges his omega over onto his belly and up onto his paws. 

 

The younger wolf is tense underneath him, but Bressie leans forward to lick across his muzzle, larger body bracketing the smaller one. Bressie draws back to move into position, whining as the head of his cock bumps against the little entrance. Gently, carefully, he closes his teeth on Niall’s scruff, keeping him still. His omega goes utterly pliant, and Bressie thrusts against him. There’s a moment of resistance, Niall’s body fighting the intrusion before he makes a small noise, an almost sub-vocal rumble that Bressie feels against his chest. Niall presses his arse back against the wolf’s cock, and Bressie rumbles back to him, pleased, pushing inside the impossibly tight heat and breaching his mate deeply.

 

Niall whines, head dropping low as he wriggles under Bressie, imploring him to move. Bressie loosens his jaws, moving more fully over his mate as he shifts, movements sharp and instinctual, every one punching a low rumble of appreciation from the wolf underneath him. Niall suddenly shivers and tightens up impossibly around him, and Bressie smells his mate’s release, ruts his way into the aftershocks of Niall’s body until he feels his balls tightening, his cock start to swell. He rocks back and forth gently until his knot catches, and Niall practically _mewls_  beneath him, front legs giving out as he drops down into the grass.

 

Bressie follows him down, using his larger body to guide Niall onto his side so they can lie together, knot keeping them tied. Niall is breathing heavily, body utterly limp as they lie quietly, until Bressie’s knot starts to go down and he can pull out, Niall yelping at the sensation.

 

After a minute, Bressie licks out behind his mate’s ear, savouring the moment, before the stretches and _shifts_.

 

It’s almost painful, how quickly his body goes from aroused to not-at-all with the snap of bones rearranging themselves. In front of him, Niall is doing the same, flopping over onto his back.

 

A flush spreads down his little mate’s chest as he catches sight of Bressie over him.

 

Bressie takes his time, looks his fill of his beautiful young omega. “I love you,” he says quietly, and Niall flashes his beaming sunshine smile.

 

“I love you too, Brez,” he says.

 

*

 

Niall was unsure about this part. He’d thought he’d be uncomfortable, walking naked under the light of the moon. There’s always a chance the wolves on patrol will see them. But here and now, with his mate by his side, Niall isn’t self-conscious at all.

 

Bressie takes his hand, and together they walk back to the fire pit. The fire is smaller now, but still large enough for their purpose. When Niall turns to face his husband - his _mate_ , Bressie is watching him with a soft smile.

 

“I face you now,” Bressie begins, “under the light of the moon, with no barriers between us. I am now and forever naked before you, joined as one soul.”

 

He leans down to kiss Niall, who grins into the kiss. He’s sure that wasn’t part of the ritual.

 

Together, they throw their clothes into the fire.

  

*

 

_“Stop for a moment,” Niall says, as they reach the end of the road, and Bressie looks to his mate in concern. He quickly realises there’s no cause for alarm, though._

_Niall leans into him, snaking an arm around his waist as he looks at their house in the distance. The house glows with warmth in the growing twilight, beautiful wood and carefully selected stone. Bressie built this house with his two hands (and the help of many others) after his father died and he became Alpha. It was a project that took years, every detail laboured over, every inch built with love and care._

_At the time, Bressie hadn’t known who he was building this house for, the large, open kitchen at the back of the house, bay windows looking out on the lake, the living space with its high ceilings and ancient, heavy beams, the guest bedrooms on the ground floor, the library to keep the pack history he’s inherited. Family bedrooms on the first floor, six rooms he hopes to fill with pups someday._

_And the master suite, the highest point in the house, a study and a generous ensuite, the bedroom he wanted to share with a mate someday. Like the house, it’s full of light, windows on three sides of the bedroom overlooking the lake and the preserve, inviting the moon inside._

 

_Bressie hadn’t known who he was building this house for._

_After meeting Niall, he couldn’t imagine bringing anyone else across the threshold._

  
_Niall has made their house a home, though. Bressie was no keen decorator, and most of the rooms had stood empty, waiting for someone to lovingly shape them into spaces in which to live. Niall made it perfect, comfortable furnishings that just_ fit _, not grand or ostentatious but welcoming, a true sanctuary. Niall is the pack Ama, the Mother, the one the pack come to with problems that aren’t for the Council - personal advice or a friendly ear or a small dispute, and their house reflects that, not only_ their _home, but a place where any of their pack can feel welcome._

_Bressie kisses his mate’s hair, and Niall sighs, a happy little sound._

_Seized by a sudden desire for mischief, Bressie sweeps his mate up in his arms, and makes for the house, Niall laughing all the way._

 

_Bressie carries Niall across the threshold, and no sooner than the door is closed does he press Niall up against it._

_“Goddess, Ni,” Bressie groans against his neck. “The way you smell…"_

_“I think I’m about due for a heat,” Niall says lightly, bites his lip at the instinctual jerk of Bressie’s hips. He loves the way his big, strong mate goes weak at the mere mention of his heat. “I talked to your mother today. She’s going to take the rascals tomorrow afternoon.”_

  
_“You’re killing me, little,” Bressie says, pulling the collar of his oversized sweater aside so he can nose along Niall’s collarbone. “Can’t she take them_ now _?”_

_Niall swats at him. “No,” he says. “Come on. I need to check on the crockpot before the horde gets home.”_

 

_Bressie groans, but lets him go._

 

*

 

The house - _their_  house, Niall reminds himself, is all lit up, warm and welcoming as Bressie guides him up the steps and through the foyer - Niall’s house has a bloody _foyer_  - up a solid oak staircase and past rooms that stand empty, waiting, and Niall’s already planning beds and furnishings as Bressie leads him up another half-staircase to the master suite -

 

Well.

 

If that isn’t just the most beautiful bed Niall has ever seen.

 

The giant bed is framed by a canopy and filmy white curtains, perfect for drawing closed and nesting in, for when Niall will give in to the biological need to nest, arrange the mountain of pillows and blankets into a satisfying cocoon snug enough to satisfy his heat.

 

One wall is all windows - Niall can just picture lazy mornings warmed by the spill of sunlight and the comforting heat of his mate, who stands behind him now, arms linked around Niall’s middle, a solid press of naked skin all down Niall’s back.

 

“Do you like it?” Bressie asks, and his voice is low and gruff but Niall can hear the vulnerability there, the fear that Niall _won’t_  like it, will look at this perfect room Bressie laboured over with his own two hands and find it wanting.

 

“Of course I love it,” Niall says, turning in his mate’s arms and stretching up for a kiss. “I’ll love it more when we’ve made that bed ours, though."

 

That starts a deep, possessive rumble in Bressie’s chest, and Niall laughs as big hands grasp his thighs, lifting him up and coaxing Niall’s legs to wrap around Bressie, as the normally graceful Alpha lumbers in the direction of the bed. They crash into the bedding together, Bressie careful not to land his whole weight on Niall even as he moves to cover his mate’s body with his own.

 

Niall’s body throbs at the possessive gesture, delights in the secret way his hole clenches as his thighs are forced open wider by Bressie’s weight. It’s not so secret, though, he realises, watching Bressie’s nostrils flare at the hot, cloying scent of Niall’s slick as it begins, the omega’s body readying itself for his mate, Niall’s cock hardening between their bodies.

 

A strange look comes over Bressie’s face, and he’s staring for a moment, Niall fighting the urge to squirm under the gaze. “I never thought I’d get to have this,” he says eventually. “Someone as perfect as you, Niall."

 

Niall blushes, and Bressie’s expression turns predatory, and he moves back slightly, ignoring Niall’s whine of protest as he begins to kiss his way down Niall’s chest, stopping here and there to nip at pale skin, tongue darting out to swipe across the head of Niall’s cock, to suck a bruise into the crease of hip and thigh. And then Bressie’s mouth - Goddess, Bressie’s _tongue_  - is between his thighs, tongue licking out over Niall’s twitching hole, tasting Niall for the first time.

 

Niall can feel himself slick, heavy and wet and ready for his mate, pheromones thick on the air as Bressie laps at him like a man dying of thirst. Niall has one leg up and over Bressie’s shoulder, heel digging into the powerful muscles of his Alpha’s back as a tongue and now two fingers spread him open, bare his most intimate place to Bressie’s attentions.

 

“Brez,” Niall gasps, begging, pleading for more, because he’s teetering on the edge of orgasm but it’s not enough, and his clever mate responds by crooking those clever fingers and Niall is coming, hole clenching around Bressie’s tongue as his cock spills untouched against his belly.

 

“In me, in me, c’mon,” Niall says, panting, still twitching from aftershocks and a need so great he forgets to be nervous, beckons his mate up so he can kiss his way into Bressie’s mouth, tasting himself on Bressie’s tongue, one hand snaking down to grasp the cock rubbing at his thigh. “I’m ready,” he says, closing his hand around Bressie’s cock so he can rub at the base, at the beginnings of a knot, making Bressie hiss.

 

“Careful, little,” Bressie says, voice low, “or I’ll pop before I’m anywhere near your sweet hole."

 

The thought of his mate being so turned on that his full knot comes in from just rubbing against Niall makes him twitch and clench, and he’s torn between wanting to see Bressie desperate and uncontrolled and needing to be filled. “Better get in me, then,” Niall says, tilting his chin up defiantly.

 

Bressie has to know he’s being goaded, but responds perfectly regardless, taking himself in hand and teasing Niall’s slick hole with the head of his cock. “This what you want, little omega?"

 

“Yes, Alpha,” Niall spits, not at all pleased with the teasing because Bressie’s dick is literally _right there_  - “So do your duty as mine already and _fuck me_."

 

Bressie grins, showing his teeth at the little spitfire below him as he thrusts forward, sinking inside Niall in one smooth glide. Niall’s mouth drops open at the feeling and he arches, shoulders the only part of him still touching the bed. “F-fuck,” he manages.

 

“That’s the plan,” Bressie says, and hooks his arms under Niall’s back, guiding him up to sit in Bressie’s lap, the movement forcing his cock deeper. “Come on, Ni. Take what you need."

 

Niall whines, full and complete around his Alpha’s cock, rocking his hips gently, enchanted by the smell of them together, the feel of Bressie under and inside him, the power and strength of his Alpha restrained for the moment, as Bressie remains still, letting Niall marvel in the feeling of just _being_  together.

 

Eventually, Niall tests out his newly discovered control and clenches up deliberately, feels Bressie’s cock twitch inside him as the muscles of Bressie’s shoulders go tight under Niall’s hands. He curls his feet under him, coming to his knees so he can raise up a bit, riding up Bressie’s dick only to let gravity pull him back down, Niall’s cock rubbing at the tense muscles of his Alpha’s belly.

 

“Like that, little?” Bressie says, and his breath is too even, carefully controlled.

 

Niall narrows his eyes. That simply won’t do.

 

He raises himself up again, this time coming fully to his knees, sliding off Bressie’s dick entirely with a dirty, wet sound. Slick trails down one thigh as he flops back onto the bed. “Don’t know,” he says, sliding one hand down to play at his hole, feeling the stretched, puffy rim under his fingers as he tightens his other hand around his cock. “Haven’t decided. Might have more fun like this,” he says, planting his feet on the bed and spreading his thighs wide so Bressie has a perfect view of the way his own fingers scissor inside of him, giving a tantalising glimpse of the inviting pink inside.

 

Bressie’s eyes darken, and he slams forward, pushing Niall’s hand aside as he makes room for his cock to thrust back inside of his little mate. Niall yelps, and Bressie pauses for a moment, but his omega doesn’t let him linger, hooking his legs around Bressie’s waist, pulling him even closer as Bressie moves over him, their bodies coming together with every thrust.

 

“That’s more like it,” Niall says, and he’s smirking now, raking his nails up Bressie’s back to coax him on. He tightens the hand still around his dick and jacks himself slowly, in counterpoint to the hard, deep fucking he’s currently receiving, feeling the swell of Bressie’s knot beginning to form.

 

“Goddess, you feel amazing,” Bressie groans, as Niall tightens up around him on one pull backwards. “You’re so perfect, Ni.” He looks down at where Niall’s hand is wrapped around his own cock. “You gonna come for me, baby? Clench up around my knot, milk me dry?"

 

Niall groans, and does exactly that, hole spasming around Bressie’s forming knot as he comes, as Bressie pushes in one final time and then stops. Niall’s body locks up around him, Bressie’s head tipping forward onto Niall, groaning his climax into his mate’s neck, body still rocking forward in tiny, instinctive motions.

 

Niall can feel the bond humming through them as he rakes his fingers through Bressie’s sweaty hair, mind and body both content as they lie there connected, physically and in ways no man nor wolf can tear asunder.

 

*

 

_“I went to see Doc Samuels today,” Niall says, stirring the stew that’s been in the slow cooker all day, making every room in their house smell delicious. Bressie could smell dinner even as they were walking up the drive. “Pass me the pepper, will you?”_

_Bressie  picks u p the grinder, but holds it hostage until Niall huffs and gives him a kiss, snatching the  pe p per from his hands._

  
_“I got a contraceptive shot,” Niall says, and Bressie notices the slight shake in his hand as he grinds pepper over the stew. Is his mate worried about Bressie’s reaction? Niall’s body is his own._ Bressie _doesn’t get to decide how many pups Niall carries._

  
_“I think we need to talk about whether or not I should take it._ _”_

_Bressie waits, letting his mate talk himself out of the knot their conversation is in, watches him fuss with the crock pot._

_“I think I’m ready,” Niall says. “That is, if you are - I’m ready for another pup.”_

_The stew has been cooking for twelve hours. It can wait another ten minutes while Bressie kisses his mate senseless against their kitchen counter._

 

 

*

 

A week or so later, when his scent changes, Bressie knows Niall is pregnant. 

 

Niall is both exasperated by Bressie’s insistence on catering to his every whim, and completely in love with it. Bressie can tell he feels like he’s truly come into his own now, like he truly belongs, and sets about making their house ready for children, redecorating and filling empty rooms and going a little nesting crazy. He snarls and bats away with sudden claws the girl in the bakery who spills coffee accidentally-on-purpose down Bressie’s shirt and reaches out to pat his chest dry. She looks to Bressie, shocked, but Bressie just shrugs and puts an arm around Niall’s shoulders, warm at the show of possessiveness. He always knew this side of Niall existed, the Niall who will do anything to protect those he loves, those he knows are *his.* And Bressie is definitely his, has to bite his lip against the rush of arousal every time he thinks of his mate, slim-hipped and angular, but belly round and heavy with his child. He can’t wait.

 

Niall came to their bed a virgin, but sometimes he forgets Bressie didn’t. Bressie’s had sex with other people, and the thought of it makes Niall’s lips curl up into a snarl. He looks down at his mate, spread out on the bed below him, hot-eyed and aroused, cock flushed and full, and traces a finger over the place where Bressie’s knot is beginning to plump up, at the base of his cock.

 

“Mine,” Niall says, and his voice is a hiss but Bressie hears it anyway.

 

“Yours,” he replies, voice soft, reaching out to catch Niall’s hand, to curl his mate’s fingers around his dick. “Only yours, my little mate.”

 

Niall grins, pleased, and raises himself up on his knees, moving forward until the head of Bressie’s cock is rubbing against his hole, slick with Niall’s arousal.

 

“I love you,” Bressie says, curling his big hand around Niall’s hip, thumb brushing the little swell of Niall’s belly. “Just you, forever."

 

Niall works himself down on Bressie’s cock like he’s punishing it, taking it too fast and relishing the burn. His body is made for this, and he’s slick enough, but he’s never taken Bressie with no prep before, his mate always careful to open him up with tongue or fingers. This time he just slams himself down, and Bressie makes a low sound like he’s been hit, bares his throat to Niall’s gaze.

 

Niall snarls, and Bressie looks _drugged_ , pupils blown wide and mouth slack. Niall reaches out to rub his thumb over that beautiful bottom lip and Bressie sucks the digit into his mouth. Niall is abruptly jealous of his thumb, and pulls it away, lifts off slightly so he can lean forward and kiss his mate, hot and demanding.

 

“Mine," he says again, pulling away.

 

“Yours,” Bressie agrees, voice low.

 

“Prove it,” Niall says, clenches around the cock inside of him, feels Bressie tremble in response. “Prove it to me, Alpha. Show me you’re mine.”

 

Bressie growls, one hand spread wide on Niall’s back, pulling him impossibly closer as he flips them.

 

 

*

 

_Bressie noses along Niall’s shoulder, across the three raised lines that run down his shoulder blade and down his back. The scar is old now, faded into thin lines of silvery-white that are almost invisible in the dim light. Bressie knows they’re there, though, a reminder of the attack five winters ago, when Bressie was away._

_Niall shivers, and Bressie makes a soothing noise, instinctive and low in his throat, and kisses over the marks, tightening his arms around his little mate._

 

*

 

Niall has just sent his Da down the pub when he hears the unfamiliar howls. 

 

Winter has made him slow and sleepy all the time, and he’s tired of Bobby’s endless hovering - he’s pregnant, not an invalid. His Da has been keeping him company while Bressie is away, more than enough room in their home for guests, but Niall just waves his Da off and tells him to git, because there’s a pint and a poker game waiting, and Niall has a bath and a good book.

 

The howls are getting closer, and they’re unfamiliar - no, that’s only part of it, these howls make Niall shiver with their intent. The baying is a call for blood, and it’s not from wolves he knows.

 

Niall realises with a start that he’s afraid.

 

His first pup moves restlessly in his belly, and Niall cradles it with a protective hand. “It’s okay, little one,” he says, trying to convince himself.

 

Bressie is two counties over at an emergency summit, representatives of neighbouring packs hastily convened to discuss the threat of the rapidly expanding Ó Braonáin pack. He hadn’t wanted to leave Niall alone, but Niall had waved off his protests - here in the homestead, he’s perfectly safe. 

 

Or so he thought.

 

He’s a sitting duck here in the kitchen, with its big bay windows facing the preserve. He needs to move. His mind races. The bedroom? There’s nowhere he can barricade himself, not really - _the cellar_. If he can make it, he can draw the bolt on the heavy steel door.

 

Just as Niall turns to move, there’s an almighty crash behind him.

 

Niall flinches, turning to see the three wolves crash through the big bay window. The one in front lands neatly, shrugging into his skin. _Alpha_ , Niall's brain informs him. There’s a rival Alpha in his house.

 

“What do we have here?” The man’s voice is cruel. “Oh look! It’s Breslin’s little knot-slut."

 

Niall snarls. He doesn’t sound afraid, at least.

 

“Aww,” the Alpha says. “Listen to the little kitty, showing her teeth.”

 

The unfamiliar Betas laugh, mocking, and the Alpha stalks closer. “Gonna leave you on the doorstep for your dog of an Alpha to find, little kitty," he growls.

 

Niall backs up against the counter, feels himself tremble as he wraps his arms around the pup in his belly.

 

“Of course,” the Alpha says, advancing on him, “Gonna make you smell like me first. Get myself a turn at that omega cunt."

 

Niall can feel the bile rising in his throat, his helplessness all too apparent. He’s too pregnant to shift, has no way of defending himself -

 

Then he hears a familiar howl.

 

_Da._

His Da won’t be alone, surely. All Niall has to do is get to the cellar and he’ll be safe. He throws the closest thing to hand at the Alpha - the bucket of utensils next to the Aga - sending the knife block’s contents skittering across the counter.

 

Then he runs.

 

If he can make it out of the kitchen, the cellar is only a few metres away - the heavy door should keep him safe -

 

Claws tear at his shoulder and Niall yelps as they catch in his skin, spinning him around to face the Alpha and pressing Niall back against the kitchen counter, his hands scrabbling uselessly at the polished surface, reaching out for something, anything - 

 

“Gon’ cut that runt out of you,” the Alpha says, breath hot on Niall’s cheek, “teach your Alpha not to mess with his betters."

 

Niall sees _red_.

 

Nobody threatens his child.

 

He doesn’t even think, just _moves_ , ducking under the arm that’s holding his shoulder, reaching until he meets flesh.

 

“ _Wha?_ ” The claws in his shoulder tear free as the Alpha stumbles back, looking down at the knife buried to the hilt in his chest.

 

Niall snarls, pressing his advantage and putting all his weight into shoving the Alpha away.

 

The wolf’s pack mates make enraged sounds, but Niall ignores them. With a strength he’s never possessed before, he leaps at the Alpha, fingers lengthening into claws as he knocks the bigger wolf down.

 

His Da and two other wolves burst into the kitchen through the broken windows, but Niall hardly notices.

 

Niall bares his teeth and growls down at the rival Alpha, the mutt that thought he could come in here and harm his _child_. The dog who thought Niall would be weak, because he’s _little_  and _omega._ For a terrible moment, Niall feels triumph in the sight of the Alpha cowering below him -

 

Then he brings his claws down, and tears the Alpha’s throat out.

 

The blood is hot against his face, unexpected, and Niall frowns, claws retreating as he absent-mindedly reaches for the tea-towel hanging from the Aga to stop the spread. Such a mess.

 

“Niall?”

 

His Da has shed his fur and is standing a few feet away, looking uncertainly at him. Niall follows his gaze to where there’s a bloody hand pressed down over the bloody throat of the Ó Braonáin Alpha, carving knife embedded in his chest.

 

It’s _his_ hand.

 

Niall killed someone.

 

_Oh Goddess._

Niall stumbles to his feet, the need to get away from the body overwhelming his senses. He can feel - he can feel blood, sticky and hot on his face, the skin of his torn shoulder throbbing, the pup kicking wildly at him. He feels sick.

 

“Da,” he says, and Bobby rushes forward to catch him as he crumples.

 

It’s all a bit of a blur after that. Cara comes to bandage up his shoulder, and his Da coaxes him out of his bloody shirt and inexplicably wet trousers and into one of Bressie’s big jumpers and some sweats. Niall settles on the big day bed by the fire, pillows heaped around him and propping him up. There’s Council members in the living room and people cleaning up the kitchen under Glenna’s instruction, Cara fussing and trying to scrub at his hair, his Da fending off McDermott Senior, who wants to talk to Niall about what happened, but Niall just sits in his makeshift nest, ignoring everything going on around him. 

 

Then he hears a familiar howl, and his heart leaps.

 

_Bressie._

 

*

 

Bressie’s tense, which is not particularly conducive to a productive summit. They’re meeting late into the night in an attempt to address the problem of the Ó Braonáin pack, who are making trouble on four of the Allied packs’ borders, but Bressie’s thoughts are with his mate.

 

And then Eoghan stumbles into the room with none of his usual grace, face ashen. “Brez-"

 

It takes Bressie two hours to get back to Niall.

 

Eoghan barely has time to voice that the Ó Braonáin Alpha has attacked the pack homestead before Bressie is shrugging into his fur, already on his way out the door.

 

He runs hard, his second barely keeping up as the two wolves run home. Bressie runs hard enough he’d be sick if he had the time, though he’s unsure of whether the bile rising is due to physical exertion or the thought of what he might find when he reaches his destination. He knows he shouldn’t have left Niall alone, but his little mate was so damn  _stubborn._ His omega had laughed off his concerns - Bressie knows there’s strength in Niall, knows he’s not the spineless omega he lets people think he is, but he’s no match for an Alpha. Eight months pregnant, Niall can’t even _shift._

The only thing Bressie can do is run faster.

 

Wolves meet Bressie at the edge of his territory, and they’re alert, sorry and alarmed, but they’re not grieving. Niall's brother is with them, eyes wide and body low, cowering deferentially, but Bressie can't be bothered acknowledging the gesture properly.

 

His mate _lives_. 

 

Greg makes a contrite noise, head low in shame, and Bressie snarls. He doesn’t care for apologies right now. The only thing he wants is Niall.

 

The homestead is all lit up when Bressie approaches, wolves in fur and skin guarding the perimeter, pack members huddled in groups on either side of the drive, all over the front lawn. Some have candles, as if keeping in vigil. Bressie lets out a mournful howl as he sprints up the drive, breathing hard.

 

There’s a sudden ruckus from inside, and the front door is flung open, Niall framed in the doorway before he stumbles out onto the porch. He stops dead when he sees his mate, breathing out on a shaky exhale as Bressie shrugs into his skin at the bottom of the steps.

 

 

There’s nothing Bressie wants more than to take Niall in his arms, but he almost can’t bring himself to climb the four steps, as if afraid Niall is just an illusion, that his little mate will shatter at his touch.

 

“Bressie,” Niall says, almost a whimper, and Bressie hurries forward at his mate’s call.

 

There’s blood in his hair, the blonde stained dark, and his mate smells like pain and stress and blood, but he’s alive.

 

Bressie sinks to shaky knees, head bowed against Niall’s stomach as he draws his mate close. Niall’s hands tremble as they card through his hair, pressing him against where Bressie can feel their pup moving, muscles jumping under Bressie’s touch. _Safe._

 

Bressie whimpers.

 

“Hey,” Niall says soothingly. “Shhh. We’re okay, Brez. I promise.”

 

He looks up at his mate, face drawn and pained but still trying to smile, still trying to reassure Bressie.

 

Niall is stronger than he knows.

 

Bressie stands, scoops Niall up in his arms and carries him across the threshold and into the house.

 

His Council is gathered in his living room. Bobby has some scratches on his face, a few others visibly injured, and the house smells faintly of blood and unfamiliar pack, but none of that matters now.

 

“Bressie,” McDermott Senior starts, only to be cut off by his Alpha's snarl.

 

Bressie sets his mate down on the couch. “Where are you hurt?” he asks, kneeling before Niall so he can lean in and rub his face over his bondbite, scenting Niall thoroughly.

 

“Shoulder,” Niall says softly, and Bressie gently pulls the neckline of an overlarge sweater (his) to the side so he can inspect the bandage on Niall’s right shoulder. He makes a wounded noise, low in his throat. “It’s just a scratch,” Niall says. “Promise.”

 

“Three gouges,” Cara puts in, from across the room. “Not too deep, but they’ll scar."

 

Bressie doesn’t miss the dirty look Niall shoots the healer. 

 

“And the pup?”

 

“Fine. We’re fine, really.” Niall turns his face upward, searching for a kiss, and Bressie can’t not oblige, letting the kiss tell of his worry, his relief, his love for the mate in his arms. Eventually, though, he has to pull away to breathe.

 

“What happened?”

 

McDermott speaks again, from behind him. “The Ó Braonáin pack-“

 

Bressie _growls_. He doesn’t want someone else's excuses right now - he wants to hear from his mate. All the wolves in the room flinch, including, as Bressie’s heart sinks, Niall. His mate has never been _afraid_  of him before.

 

Niall takes his hand and gives him a small smile. “Still a bit jumpy,” he says softly. “Sorry.”

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Bressie tells him.

 

“Come sit,” Niall says, patting the couch.

 

Bressie obliges, making sure to press himself close so Niall can feel the warmth of his body, so Niall has something to lean against.

 

“I sent Da to the pub tonight,” he starts, studying their joined hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think-“

 

“You left him _alone_?” Bressie’s fury is directed at Bobby, pale and stricken in his position by the window, but Niall gently takes his chin, turns his mate’s head back towards himself.

 

“I told him to go,” he says, voice firm. “Practically threw him out. He was driving me nuts with all the fussin’.”

 

Bressie purses his lips, but waits for Niall to continue.

 

“The Ó Braonáin Alpha broke in through the window when I was in the kitchen. Him and two Betas.” Niall shifts uncomfortably, hand at his belly. “He said he was going to leave you a message,” he says, and Bressie can imagine what that message would’ve entailed. The thought of coming home to find Niall -

 

  
_No._ He can’t let himself think of that now. His mate is here now, alive in front of him.

 

Niall heaves himself up off the couch, and Bressie steadies him with a hand on his hip, but lets him go, watching as his mate starts to pace. “Y’have to understand,” he starts, “I don’t know how I did it. I don’t-“ he sighs, hand rubbing at his belly, where the pup must be bothering him. “He was threatening my pup,” Niall says, voice strong, and Bressie understands that the explanation isn’t only for his benefit. He can imagine Niall’s had to wrangle the Council for the last few hours, and his patience must be wearing thin by now.

 

“He was _threatening my pup_ ,” he repeats, “he said he was going to cut the little one out - and I just saw _red._ He’d clawed my shoulder and dug in - I couldn’t get away, so I got him with a kitchen knife. I rushed him, managed to push him down, and I-“ he pauses, wincing, though whether it’s the babe or what he can’t say, Bressie is unsure.

 

“He tore the Alpha’s throat out,” Bobby says quietly. “Like there was no-one he couldn’t best to protect his pup.”

 

There’s a few murmurs from the Council members at that.

 

“I’ve read about beserker rage,” Niall says hesitantly. “I think - I think that’s what happened. I don’t really remember doing it.” He rubs at his lower back, obviously in pain. Bressie aches to go to him, but stays where he is, lets his mate pace. “I just saw red. I couldn’t let anything hurt our pup.”

 

“You’re so strong, Ni,” Bressie says, voice gentle. “I know you’d do anything to protect our pup. You did good.” He pats the couch. “You look exhausted, though. Come sit.”

 

“Your actions were admirable,” McDermott says, obviously attempting to sound kind, “especially for someone so delicate-"

 

This time _Niall_  snarls at him, and Bressie watches with a smile as the other wolf actually takes a step back in shock.

 

Niall turns back to Bressie. “I’m fine,” he says, face pained. “I promise.”

 

“You’re in labour, lad,” Cara says. It sounds like it’s not the first time she’s said it.

 

“No,” Niall says desperately, clutching at his belly as he winces again. “It’s too soon. He’s just - he’s just excited, that’s all. It’s been a stressful night.”

 

“It’s probably just your constitution, son,” McDermott says, and this time Bobby hauls him from the room before Bressie can react.

 

“ _Out_ ,” he says, standing. “All of you.”

 

Bressie crosses to where Niall is standing stock-still, one hand gripping the mantel over the fireplace, knuckles white. He hooks his chin over Niall’s uninjured shoulder, one large hand spanning his mate’s belly. He can feel the taught muscles spasming uncontrollably under his palm.

 

“Ni-“

 

“It’s too soon,” Niall says, hanging his head as another wave of - _something_  makes the muscles in his belly jump and spasm. “It’s not supposed to be for another month.”

 

“Pups come on their own schedule,” Cara says, taking Niall by the arm and leading him to the day bed, where he surrenders with a sigh and lies himself down. “You,” she says, pointing at Bressie, “get some clean linens for us. And tell someone to fetch my daughter - we may need another set of hands.”

 

“Right,” Bressie says numbly.

 

Niall is in _labour_. 

 

Once out of the room, he crosses the foyer to the linen closet, brushing off the concerns of the Council members gathered in his foyer, grabbing some sweatpants from the hook inside the door, ignoring their concerns as he makes himself more presentable. There’s things to be discussed, yes, but he trusts in his second to make sure they’ll be protected now, knows there’s guards already in position around the homestead. The Ó Braonáin Alpha is dead, but Bressie doesn’t have time to think about what comes next. His mate is in labour.

 

He stares at the contents of the linen cupboard.

 

Niall is an omega, and his body is made for this, but he’s still so little, so very young. For the first time, Bressie almost regrets taking Niall as a mate. Niall is strong, yes, has proven that tonight, but so many things could go wrong - _it’s too soon_.

 

Bressie grabs a stack of crisp white sheets and an armful of towels, handing them off to Bobby, who’s standing behind him, face ashen.

 

“I’m so sorry, son,” he says.

 

“It’s not your fault,” Bressie says impatiently, shoving the linen at him. “Take them in to Cara.”

 

He sends someone to find Ellie, Cara’s eldest. She’s one of the pack members gathered outside, so it’s the work of minutes.

 

Bressie stands in the foyer of his own house, lost. Outside the still-open front door, he can see his pack starting to gather, in part a need for safety after the attack, part concern for their Alpha’s mate. _No_ , Bressie thinks. After tonight, if the Goddess smiles upon them and a child is born, Niall will be  _máthair, Ama_ \- the pack mother, the life bringer.

 

Behind him, Eoghan clears his throat. Bressie turns to regard his second. “Report.”

 

“A few minor injuries - there were four Betas sent to mess up the Council building, but they were spotted by half the pub and taken out before they could get there - that’s how Bobby and the others knew to come here. The bodies have been removed. The Alliance has been notified of Alpha Ó Braonáin’s death, and we’ve got patrols out tonight, though I don’t think there’ll be another attack.” He pauses. “Is Niall-"

 

Bressie feels much older than his thirty years. “I need to tell them,” he says, heading for the door.

 

All eyes are on Bressie as he makes his way down the front steps. He can hear the Council follow him out onto the porch, but Bressie keeps going, only stopping when there’s grass beneath his feet. Ailie O’Byrne’s youngest breaks away from her mother and runs forward in her fur, rubbing her face against Bressie’s shin, seeking comfort from her pack Alpha.

 

“Hey there,” Bressie says gently, lifting the girl into his arms.

 

“We were attacked tonight,” Bressie starts, voice soft. He knows his pack will hear him regardless. “I left to deal with a danger to the pack, and in doing so, I left my mate undefended.”

 

There’s a few faint murmurs at this.

 

“I left my mate and unborn pup vulnerable, and we were attacked by the pack that’s been giving the counties trouble lately. The Ó Braonáin Alpha came to leave me a message,” he says, fury growing in his voice. “The mutt thought that because my mate was undefended, he was weak. But Niall fought back, defended himself and our unborn pup and our pack, and was injured in the process.”

 

The cub in his arms whimpers, trying to burrow further into his chest.

 

“Shhh,” Bressie says, stroking the cub behind her ears. "It's okay, Jessie." He clears his throat, and raises his voice again. “Ó Braonáin underestimated the strength of my mate, and when he tried to take our pup, Niall tore his throat out.”

 

There are growls of appreciation at this.

 

“I let him down tonight,” Bressie says. “I let you all down, by leaving.”

 

There’s noise from inside, too indistinct to properly make out, but Bressie knows his mate is in pain. He swallows around the lump in his throat. 

 

"But Niall is strong, and fought back where I couldn’t. Even at this moment, he’s still fighting - now to bring our pup safely into the world. Pray for him tonight. Pray for them both.”

 

Bressie closes his eyes for a moment. Then he throws back his head and _howls._

 

Several hundred voices join him in his plea to the Goddess.

 

*

 

Now that they know what’s going on, the pack is settling in for the long run, bedding down outside despite the cold. Some are in their fur, others wrapped up in blankets or huddled around bonfires. 

 

His mother has taken charge of the kitchen, now full of people and food and hot beverages being arranged for everyone outside. Eoghan has seemingly banished the Council members, because no-one bothers Bressie as he sits on the stairs in the foyer. He can hear Niall’s voice carrying from the living room despite the closed doors, sometimes talking, sometimes crying out but always, _always_ in pain.

 

Bressie grips his head in his hands and tries to reassure himself. Omegas have been giving birth for thousands of years. Omegas younger than Niall, omegas less strong than his wilful little mate.

 

He’s somewhat surprised when someone swats him across the head.

 

Bressie looks up, ready to snarl at someone, when he sees Cara glaring at him.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

 

Bressie’s not sure how to answer.

 

“That boy in there is _terrified_ , no matter how hard he tries to hide it, and you’re hiding out here?” She clucks her tongue. “Shame on you, Niall Breslin. You should be in there with your mate.”

 

“Should I?” Bressie is unsure. “I thought I was supposed to wait out here.” Mates are almost never in the birthing room.

 

Cara’s face softens. “Your mate needs you, Bressie.” 

 

“But-"

 

“Do you or do you not make the rules?”

 

“Right,” Bressie says. “I make the rules.” He stands on legs that are suddenly shaky, and makes his way to the living room.

 

Bressie pauses in the doorway, frozen until Niall looks up, as if sensing the presence of his mate. He looks exhausted, sweat on his brow and blood-stained hair flat against his forehead.

 

“ _About feckin’ time_ ,” he says. “Get your arse over here."

 

Bressie gives him a sheepish look, crossing the room to kneel beside the day bed. “I didn’t think you would want me in here.”

 

“Of course I want you here,” Niall says crossly. “Of course I want you to be a part of bringing our pup into the world.”

 

“I thought I already was a part of that,” Bressie says, going for sly.

 

Niall shoots him a thoroughly unimpressed look, gritting his teeth against a contraction that has him cursing. “I am not in the mood,  _husband.”_

Bressie is well and truly in trouble now. “What do you want me to do, little mate?” he asks, tone soft. “You only have to ask and I’ll do it, I swear.”

 

“I want you to hold my hand,” Niall says, voice shaky. He sniffs, and - oh  _Goddess._  Niall starts _crying_ \- great, heaving sobs that have him trying to turn away from Bressie on the day bed, so his mate doesn’t see.

 

“Of course I’ll hold your hand,” Bressie says, reaching down to do just that. “I’ll hold your hand through every second of it, I promise.”

 

*

 

Hours later, Niall’s Da shuffles into the room.

 

Niall is exhausted. Each wave of contractions hurts worse than the last, and Cara says he’s not dilated enough to push yet. _Dilated_ enough. Niall winces at the thought of his poor arse. One thing’s for sure. Bressie is never putting his knot anywhere near him again.

 

“They’re building bonfires outside,” Bobby says, bringing his son a fresh bottle of water, dabbing at his forehead with a towel. “The whole pack is out there, Niall. They know you can do this.”

 

“My poor lawn,” Niall says weakly, making his Da smile. 

 

He honestly doesn’t think he’s any good at this birthing business. Birth is meant to be  _easier_  for omegas, but Cara tells him it’s been five hours, and their stubborn pup is taking his goddamn time. Niall doesn’t even have the strength to hold himself up anymore.

 

Bressie is a comforting presence behind him, Niall sitting back against his chest, cradled in his mate’s arms. He’s down to only a sheet for modesty’s sake now, hair dark with sweat as he rides out the contractions.

 

He doesn’t know how much longer he can do this.

 

Niall grits his teeth and hangs on to Bressie’s hand.

*

 

Bressie is beginning to despair.

 

Niall, now in his seventh hour of labour, has finally been given the okay to push, but he’s so exhausted he very nearly can’t.

 

Bressie can see the looks that pass between Cara and Ellie. He knows they’re worried. He feels sick with worry, as Niall shudders and strains against him, little body wracked by contractions and the pain of early birth. Neither he nor the pup are ready for this - _they should have had another month!_ Bressie swallows. He needs to be strong for Niall. He’s here now. He needs to be strong for his mate.

 

“I need you to push again, Niall,” Cara instructs, not unkindly.

 

Niall braces himself against Bressie, but it only takes a few moments before he’s collapsing back. “I can’t,” he sobs. “I’m sorry, Bressie, I can’t.”

 

“Yes you can,” Bressie says, voice low and steady in Niall’s ear. “My little mate. You were so strong tonight. I need you to be strong again now. For our pup.”

 

“Brez-“

 

“You can do it, Niall. I know you can.”

 

Niall sobs, tensing to give an almighty push, trembling with tension.

 

“That’s it,” Cara says. “Another one like that, Niall."

 

“I love you more than anything,” Bressie says, knows he’s crying too. “I know you can do this."

 

Niall yells one last time, and abruptly relaxes, going limp against him. Even his grip on his mate's hand goes slack, and for one terrifying moment Bressie thinks he’s lost mate and child both, but then a cry splits the air, and Niall laughs as he takes in great gulps of air.

 

Ellie steps forward to take the babe from Cara, who is coaxing Niall through another shudder, another push, but Bressie is focused on Ellie, who grins at him. “A son,” she says. “You have a son, Bressie.”

 

“We have a son,” Bressie repeats into Niall’s hair.

 

He groans in response, a shudder working its way through his body as Cara fusses below the sheet, cleaning him up and tucking clean towels around him. 

 

Ellie is cleaning up the newest member of their pack, rubbing him down with a warm flannel as he cries, showing off his already impressive lungs. Cara takes the pup when he’s clean, stepping forward and setting him gently on Niall’s chest. The boy makes the most minuscule of movements to turn his head into Niall’s chest, already mouthing for a feed.

 

“Hey pup,” Niall says softly, cradling him instinctively and helping him find a nipple. Their son, so tiny and yet so strong, latches on after only a moment.

 

“He’s healthy despite being early,” Cara says. “He’s a little fighter.”

 

“Yes he is,” Niall says, looking down in wonder. “Look what we did, Brez. Look at our son."

 

“Our son,” Bressie whispers, arms secure around Niall, encircling mate and pup in his arms. “What’s his name?”

 

He watches as Niall traces the line of their son’s brow. “Cahal,” Niall says eventually. “Cahal Breslin.”

 

“Cahal.”

 

Niall has named their son battle-mighty, and it fits. Bressie doesn’t want war for his children, but Cahal has already known battle, and is strong. Strong like his dam, blonde hair wispy on his head - Bressie hopes he has Niall’s eyes.

 

“It wasn’t me, you know,” Niall says quietly, watching their son feed. “It wasn’t my strength. It was his.”

 

Bressie kisses his temple, feeling the tears prick at his eyes. How close he came to losing them both tonight. He’s going to spend the rest of his life making sure they’re safe.

 

*

 

_On the day Niall wakes up with his body burning up from within with the fever of impending heat, it’s Bressie’s job to pack the pups off to his Mum’s, to set out the protein bars and fresh towels and spare linen. Bressie coaxes his little mate to sip at some water, helps his already exhausted body build up a nest of pillows and bedding around them before his mind takes a backseat to his biological need._

_“You going to put a pup in me, Alpha? Knock me up again, fill me up until I’m heavy and round and everyone can tell?"_

_Niall is out of his mind, mewling for Bressie’s knot, and doesn’t come back to himself until after, when they’re tied together, and as usual he’s ashamed for all of a minute before Bressie manages to convince him that he was one of the hottest things the Alpha had ever seen, demanding and unrestrained. It’s better, then, like it was the first time, when Niall is more aware of what’s going on, and he didn’t know what to expect from heat but never expected he’d enjoy it so much. He certainly never expected he’d feel this - powerful. He wakes Bressie from his doze to sink down on his cock, hard even in sleep, responding to his mate’s cloying pheromones. Bressie awakens to find his mate above him, head thrown back as he digs his nails into Bressie’s chest, taking what he needs._

_This is who Bressie fell in love with - the fire inside Niall, the way he’s at once the sweetest person Bressie’s ever met and this beautiful, wild thing. He’s so fierce in defence of their pups - Bressie realises with a groan, as Niall slams down one final time and his knot catches, Niall finally stopping for breath and slumping forward onto Bressie’s chest, body satisfied for now, that his little mate could be pregnant again already._

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! leave a comment, or come say hi on [tumblr](http://downintinpanalley.tumblr.com/ask) :)


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